Spalding United supporters can set their sat-navs for all points North after top scorer Jack Roberts saved their season with a last-gasp penalty.
Real Bedford looked to be heading for National League North in the Southern League Premier Central play-off final at the Sir Halley Stewart Field on Monday when they hit back from behind to lead 2-1 after 90 minutes of action.
However, a penalty in the second minute of stoppage gave Roberts the chance to take the match into extra time and he duly converted to send the majority of the 2,700 sell-out crowd into delirium.
Roberts then came close to a sensational winner but his free-kick crashed against the Bedford bar.
With their spirit broken, the visitors conceded an early goal in extra time to Bart Cybulski before Ben Fowkes made sure of things to complete a 4-2 victory two minutes before the end.
Yusifu Ceesay had given the Tulips a 37th-minute lead to go with his semi-final winner but the visitors went ahead with goals from Ben Stevens ten minutes after the break and Josh Setchell with seven minutes remaining.
That looked to be game over for the hosts until Tulips old boy Sam Cartwright was adjudged to have fouled Ceesay and Roberts stepped up to score.
It means Spalding will be playing at the highest level they’ve ever competed in their 121-year history and will take their place in next season’s National League North, swapping places with one of manager Jimmy Dean’s former clubs, Peterborough Sports.
There the Tulips will line up alongside a host of former Football League and reborn professional clubs, as well as facing a local derby with King’s Lynn Town.
Tulips: Wilks, Sembie-Ferris, Olopade, Moore, Johnson, Thompson (McCammon), Roberts (Bendle), Pugh, Cybulski, Sani (Fowkes), Ceesay. Subs (not used): Akanbi, White.
Attendance: 2,700.
Pictures by Keira Thurston and Adrian Smith.
